Britain to expel first terrorist suspects

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Britain and the United Nations seem headed for confrontation
over Britain's plan to deport alleged terrorist sympathisers in the
wake of the July 7 bombings.

The Home Secretary, Charles Clarke, said on Wednesday that the
first deportations would be in the "next few days" as he published
a list of "unacceptable behaviour" that would allow him to expel
foreign citizens accused of encouraging terrorism.

The behaviour includes making speeches, running websites,
publishing material or using a position of responsibility such as
teacher or youth leader to "foment, justify or glorify terrorist
violence" or "foster hatred that might lead to intercommunity
violence" in Britain.

Manfred Novak, a special investigator on torture for the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights, told The Guardian the plan
could violate international law by circumventing the obligation
"not to deport anybody if there is a serious risk that he or she
might be subjected to torture".

Mr Novak, who is seeking to meet Mr Clarke, said he could cite
Britain for the alleged violation when he reported to the UN
General Assembly in October. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees
also said the deportation proposals would breach the 1951 Geneva
Convention on refugees.

But Mr Clarke said the human rights of the people who were blown
up on July 7 were more important than those of the people who
committed the acts.

"I wish the UN would look at human rights in the round rather
than simply focusing all the time on the terrorist," he said.

Mr Novak rejected the criticism, saying the UN was strongly
concerned about terrorism but that "we in the Western democratic
countries … should not step over these limits by violating
international law."

Among those on a list of high-profile Islamic militants drawn up
by Mr Clarke are a Pakistani cleric and Muhammed al-Massari, a
Saudi-born dissident whose London radio station praises suicide
attacks on British soldiers in Iraq, The Times reported.

The country's main Muslim body, the Muslim Council of Britain,
argued that alleged extremists should be prosecuted in Britain, not
deported.

London's Metropolitan Police commissioner in charge of the
bombing investigation, Sir Ian Blair, was being undermined by a
small cadre of disgruntled officers, London police sources
said.

Critics were using the July 22 police shooting of Jean Charles
de Menezes, the Brazilian mistaken for a suicide bomber, against
Sir Ian, who is seen by his detractors as too politically
correct.

Scotland Yard sources feel there is truth in the remarks made on
Wednesday by London's Mayor, Ken Livingstone, that a few
disenchanted colleagues are trying to damage the police chief.

The shooting of Mr de Menezes at a London tube station on July
22 has put enormous pressure on Sir Ian.

On Wednesday, the Brazilian delegation visiting London to
investigate the death called for "someone to be considered guilty
at the end of the process".

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1124562975560-smh.com.auhttp://www.smh.com.au/news/world/britain-to-expel-first-terrorist-suspects/2005/08/25/1124562975560.htmlsmh.com.auSydney Morning Herald2005-08-26Britain to expel first terrorist suspectsJames Button Herald Correspondent in London and agenciesWorld